Everyone should go to an animal rights conference

You don't need to be a card-carrying vegan or activist to come to an animal rights conference. In fact, I love seeing NEW people, the "mainstream" folk, as it were, coming in to stop at the tables and exhibits and ask lots of questions. Knowledge is power and I love seeing people willing to seek it out, however painful it may be.
No one ever wants to just preach to the choir--animal rights activists want what we already know to get out to more and more people because once you learn what we know, the only place to go is up toward enlightenment and action. I learn new things at each conference I go to, even when I think I have seen it all. Every conference is a precious, emotional and inspiring experience.

At the 2010 Animal Rights Conference sponsored by FARM (Farm Animal Rights Movement-http://www.farmusa.org/) last weekend, a young woman came up to the RabbitWise table which I helped man. As she looked at the photos of white rabbits being skinned alive for their fur, her eyes welled with tears. I asked her already knowing the answer if this was her first conference--she said yes. She further indicated that she knew alot already about the gruesome exploitation of animals, that she had done so much research ahead of time and yet to see the images of animals being tortured for commercial purposes brought a whole new dimension to her experience. The important part is, she looked ANYWAY even with all her knowledge gathered beforehand. It is one thing to read about animals in pain--quite another to stare it in the face.

This is what we all must do, dare to look. Get out of your comfort zone--wake up to what is going on around you. See the suffering that most of us have at one time contributed to either by eating and wearing animals or buying products by companies who have used animals in their testing. Seeing is the first step to change, to make a real difference in alleviating the suffering so many of our fellow earthlings endure. There are many of us out there who will stand by you as you look, help you through the angst of realizing what you have participated in all these years and lead you to better happier choices. Please join those of us already in the know to make the world a happier healthier place for ALL the earth's inhabitants. You can only feel BETTER about yourself by doing so.